Jet type bailer with gas generating mechanism



Dec. l, 1959 y J. D. cHEsNur v2,915,124

JET TYPE BAILER WITH GAS GENERATING MECHANISM JOHN D. CHES/VUT Emy ATT RNEY J. D. cHEsNuT 2,915,124 JET TYPE BAILER WITH GAs GENERATING MCHANISM Dec. 1, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 1, 1956 INVENTOR JOHN D. CHESNUT /mfw TTORNEX United States y Patent O JET TYPE BAILER WITH GAS GENERATING John D. Chesnut, Newport Beach, Calif., assignor to Aerojet-General Corporation, Azusa, Calif., a corporation of Ohio Application June 1, 1956, Serial No. 588,770 11 Claims. (Cl. 166-63) This invention relates to oil well tools, and in particular to a bailer for removing debris or other materials from a well bore.

An object of the invention is to provide a bailer With powerful, self-contained jetting means which provide aA fluid jet for dislodging debris in a well bore and moving it into a container in the bailer. v

It is an optional object of this invention to provide such a jetting device in which the combustion process of a heating charge which generates the uid jet is substantially independent of well submergence pressures.

This invention is carried out in combination with a hailing device having upper and lower compartments. One compartment is open at its upper end and closed at its lower end so as to holdl debris and the like which may be dumped into it. A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a jetting device so disposed and arranged as to discharge fluid toward the bottom of a well, thereby causing the uid and debris which it entrains to rise above the bailer and thereafter drop into it for removal from the well.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a discharge nozzle for discharging said vapor into the well whereby an optimum force can be obtained from the uid jet.

An optional feature of this invention resides rin the provision of a self-combustible charge of the type frequently known as propellant, which contains within itself the materials necessary for the generation of hot gases. With the use of such |a self-combustible material, there need be no dependence on outside sources such as the atmosphere for combustion reactants.

A further optional feature which may be utilized if desired resides in the provision of fa self-contained fuel which upon combustion produces only heat and solid materials, and therefore can beenclosed in a rigid jacket so that its combustion processes Lare independent of well submergence pressures. Such a h eat source can be utilized to vaporize a liquid for creating pressure to discharge a jet of uid. A

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understood from the following detailed descrip tion and the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in cross-section, of a bailer according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a crosssection taken at line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is la side elevation partly in cross-section showing an alternate form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken at line 4 4 of Fig; 3;

Fig. 5 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein there are jets directed both upwardly and downwardly; f

Figgw illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein'the gas generating chamber is at the top of the bailer instead of at the bottom; t

' Fig. 7 illustrates an embodiment similar to Fig. 6'except that the bailer compartment is'lled fromthe lower and upper ends instead of the upper end; s

`self-contained battery and switch actuated 'by ICC 'a go-devil down the Well;

Fig. 9 illustrates `an embodiment of the 'invention Y.

wherein ignition of the propellant is accomplishedby a pin upon'contact with a bridge in the well; and

Fig. l0 illustrates a' bailer body which is perforated at its lower end and provided with ,a removable screen" liner.

Referring to Fig. l, there is shown a ybailer 10'jsus-l pended near the bottom of a well casing 11 having debris 12 at the bottomv thereof. It is the purpose of the bailer to remove the debris from the well bore.

rPhe bailerv comprises a generally cylindrical case'13 Y open at its upper end, with a'partition 14.7acrossthe` case `at ya point intermediate the ends. y'Thispartition creates a compartment or" container 15 which has its open end pointed upward; To the upper rim of the f `case there is attached aflexible cup 16,.the outer anges of which extend upwardly andy outwardly from thefcase and bear against the well casing. p .i

A wire line 17 attached to a handle 18 oni the bailer suspends the bailer in the well.

Below the partition 14 there is vaporizing compartment or chamber 19.` This chamber is created below the partition 14 by. barrier 20. -An

eductor tube 21 has an inverted U22 Von its upper end in the vaporizing chamber, and passes through the lower barrier Zti. 4Vaporizable liquid '23 is placed in this'v'aporizing chamber 19. v I

A self-combustible Iheating charge 23a which generates heat and no gases in its combustion process is shown enclosed in a iiuidtight jacket' 24. This jacket is made strong enough to isolate the charge from the submergence pressures which surround it. There are manysolid substances which undergo an exothermal reaction to pro` duce heat and solid substances. f A preferred `charge com! prises an intimate mixture'of powdered metallic alu, minum and iron oxide in substantially stoichiometric proportion, which reacts exothermally according to they Itvwill be observed that no gases are formed, but only p solids, and that no pressure is thus exerted on the re- It will be furactants to affect their combustion rate. ther observed that this 'charge 23a is self-contained in the sense that no substances from outside the charge are required for the reaction.

Other non-gassing materials, such as thermit and equivalent mixtures, can also be used. ."In many instances it will be desirable to reduce the amount of heat produced in burning. This can be donerby incorporating inert material such `as diXie clay into the heating charge mixture. The particular heating charge employed in this invention is not considered critical. All such modifications of the ingredients of the charge are consideredV within the skill of the art and within the scope of this invention. n

A squib 2S is embedded in the upper end of the charge,

An electric firing line 26 leads to the squib from the surthe nozzle 30 to exclude liquids therefrom` until presa sure is built up by the charge.

The bailer of Fig. 3, also shown lowered into a Well'- Paiented Dec. ,11 1959 ,t

a striker Y provided a closed 3.r casingll, has an outer case 33. This case is divided at some midpoint by partition 34 so asi'td provide a container 35 with an open upper end. A exible cup 36 is provided at the top., of -the case, the outer-end of'its angernaking coritactfwithV the wall of the -well casing.

"An insulated electricconductor line 37 suspends the bailer by means of a handle 381 Below the partition 34 and within the shell there is placed alayer of insulation 39 "such'asasbestosg and within the lining of insulation there is a charge 40 of a self-combustible fuel. These self combustible fuelsare gas forming, and are known principally' as propellants, and Vare capable of producing volumes of gas many times greater than solid volume. This gas generation is obtained entirely from materials contained within the charge itself, and does not require substances'from outsidey the charge such as atmospheric oxygen. Asquib 41 is inserted in the bottom end of the 'charge 40 and au electric igniter line 42 leads from the squib to the surface ofthe well for igniting the charge 40 by settingbffthe squib.

An example of a suitable gas-forming propellant material for'this bailer isa mixture comprising approximately 25% asphaltand 75% potassium perchlorate.

A nozzle 43 is xed'to the lower end of the shell 33 withitso'pen4 end discharging downwardly toward the bottom of the wellbore. i

rThe voperation of the bailer of Fig. 1 will now be described. The bailer isY firstV lowered into the well by paying out the line 17. It will be let down to a level so that the nozzle is spaced slightly above the debris tobe removed from the bottomof the well. Before combustion of the charge is begun, the unit in the well stjandsas shown in" Fig. l, with the outer llange of the flexible `cup 16l making a continuous Contact with the well casing. Itwill be observed that the shell 13 is of lesser diameter than that of the well casing so as to leave an annular space between the bailer and the well casing. When it is desired to bail the debris from the bottornof the well, an electric current is sent through line `26 and the self-combustible fuel charge begins its exothermal reaction. This vaporizes at least some of the' liquid in the vaporizing chamber 19. As the liquid is vaporized the vapors rise and pass through the eductor tube and into the discharge nozzle. After a sucient pressure 'is' developed the frangible diaphragm is broken andthe liuid departs from the nozzle in a strong fluid jet toward the debris which agitates and entrains the debris in the well. The fluid, entrained debris, and liquids in the well arethereby caused to rise through the annular space between the bailer and the well casing.

When` thek entrained debris reaches the flexiblecup, the flanges of the cup are forced inwardly and permit the material to rise above the upper edge of the bailer. Whenthe pressure is insulcient to continue lifting material from the bottom of the well, this material settles', and its weight forces the'fianges of the flexible cup againstv the walls of the casing. This material will thereuponbe funneled so as to drop into the container 15 which'w'ill retain them. Then the bailingdevice may be lifted to the top of the surface by the wire line, land the debris is thus removed. v

The-operation of the bailer of Fig. 3 is substantially similar, the squib 41 being` tired by an electric current through line 42. This ignites charge 40 which generates quantities of gases which are discharged through the nozzle 43 so as to entrain the debris, and carry it above the upper margin ofthe bailer. Fluids in the well also aid in this entrainment. Then when the debris falls, it is caught in the container 35 by the 4tunneling action of the cup. The bailer can be lifted from the well by the wireline 37.

A salient advantage of the bailer of Fig. v1 is the utilization of a self-combustible mixture which produces only heatA and solid products of combustion. It is Apossible to enclose this type of combustion charge in a rigid jacket and thus isolate the charge from the effects of well submergence pressures. strong enough to resist well sbmergence pressures, since no gaseous products are generated by the combustion which would create an internal pressure. Because of this isolation, the rate of combustion is entirely independent of submergence conditions and an optimum burning rate istherebyachieved for this device.

With the device shown' in Fig. 3, the propellant material `is exposed to well submergence pressures which tend to cause some deterioration of the heatingreaction. However, it will generally be found that such deterioration is moderate, andl that the operation of this bailer will beentirely satisfactory for all practical purposes.

The downwardly directed jets from the nozzles 30 and 43 exert an upward thrust which tends to move the bailer up the hole and away from the debris 12. Generally, the weight of 'the bailer body is sufficient to prevent upward movement of the bailer. However if it is desired-f to provide additional precaution against upward--movemeut ofthe bailer, this can be 'accomplished in several" ways. For example, weights or sinker bars 45 may be placed on the lines 17 and 37. Another method of accomplishing the desired result is to provide additional nozzles 50 which exert a downward thrust, as-

shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 5, the bailer body 46 is similar tov against the entrance of well fluid into the combustion chamber 47; while the bailer is being run Ainto the well, by means of cup-shaped seals 52, of the type commonly used for this purpose.

Fig. 6 illustrates another embodiment of the invention wherein thecombustion chamber and propellant charge are located at the upper end of the bailer body instead of atthelowerend, las in Figs. l-5. The top of thev bailer body 53 is closed by -a cover 54 to which the lifting handle 55 may be attached. A combustion chamber 56 is `formed within thebailer body 53, the cover 54 and a bottom plate 56a. The propellant charge 57 is contained within the chamber 56 and is ignited by any suitable means, such as the igniter 58 and electric wires 59 which extend through the cover 54 and are connected to an electric hoisting line 37.

Gas generated by burning the propellant charge 57 is conducted downwardly through the-bottom plate 56a through a tube 60 which extends to the lower end ot" the bailer body 52 and terminates in `a nozzle 60a which isinitially sealed by a removable-cover 61. The lower end of the tubep passes through a closure plate'62 which serves as the bottom of the bailer body.

The lower end'of the bailer body 53'is provided with a stand-off nose preferably inthe form of an open cage 63 havingaring-shaped foot piece`64 at the lower end thereof. The purpose of the cage 63--64 is to keep the nozzle 60a spaced a proper distance above the target (which is the debris-in the well) and at the same time to allowthe debris tobe circulated upwardly as indicated by the arrows 65.

Since the tube 60 extends throughout the middle and4 lower portion of the bailer body 53, there is provided'an annular space 66 within the bailer body 'to receive debris The jacket need only be be in the form` of windows 67 formed in the wall of the bailer body.

In order to insure that debris raised by the jet from nozzle 60 will enter the windows 67, it is preferred to provide a guide in theform of a exible cup 68, facing upwardly, and positioned around the bailer body at the lower side of the windows 67. Thus, debris moving upwardly, as indicated by the arrows 65, will be constrained to move inwardly through the windows 67 as the bailer body is moved upwardly in the well.

Fi-g. 7 illustrates still another embodiment of the invention in which the bailer is loaded from the bottom instead of from the top. The bailer body is indicated schematically at 69. The propellant chamber 70 is at the top and contains the propellant 71. A tube 72 leads from the propellant chamber 70 to a discharge nozzle 73, in a manner similar to that illustrated in Fig. 6. The lower end of the bailer body 69 is closed by a bottom plate 74 containing a series of holes or inlet ports 75. The inlet ports are covered by upwardly opening check valves 76. A downwardly facing rubber cup 77 surrounds the lower end of the bailer body and serves to direct debris into the inlet ports 75. The upper portion of the bailer body 69 is provided with one or more openings 78, below the pro-Y pellant chamber 70, which serve both as a Vent to permit debris to enter the bailer chamber 79 and as an inlet to permit debris which has moved above the bailer to drop down into the bailer chamber 79. A flexible guide collar 80 serves to deflect debris from above the bailer inwardly through the opening 78.

In use, as the bailer 69 is run into a well, fluid from below the bailer by-passes upwardly through the inlet ports 75 and the openings 78. After the bailer chamber 79 has been lled with debris the bailer is lifted, causing the check valves 76 to close, trapping the debris in the bailer chamber 79. On the upward trip, fluid in the well by-passes the flexible cup 77 and the ilexible guide collar 80. The latter does not make a fluidtight seal with the well casing 81.

The bailers illustrated inv Figs. 1 through 7 are shown as being suspended from insulated electric lines 37 through which electric current is caused to o'w from a source (not shown) at the top of the well to the igniter attached to the propellant. This arrangement is not essential to the operation of the invention. Bailers are usually operated from stranded steel cables (which do not conduct electric current) because of the greater strength of such cables as compared to electric conductor lines. If it is desired to operate the bailers of the present invention by means of non-conductor cables, it becomes necessary to furnish different means for igniting the propellant. Such means may comprise an electric battery with mechanical means for closing the circuit, or a percussion type detonator, as shown schematically in Figs. 8 and 9.

Fig. 8 illustrates one form of battery type igniter in which the circuit is closed by dropping a weight or godevil from the top of the Well. The propellant chamber 82 is shown as being at the lower end of the bailer body 83, although it could be at the top of the bailer body without departing from the spirit of the invention. The propellant is indicated at 84 with the igniter 85 at the lower end thereof, although it could be at the upper end. The lead wire '86 from the igniter is shown in dotted lines extending through the body of the propellant, passing upwardly through a stuffing box S7 in the oor 88 of the bailer chamber 89, upwardly through the interior of the chamber 89 and into the lower end of a chamber 90 which contains a battery and a percussion type switch, not shown, but well known in the art. Extending upwardly out of the chamber 90 is a striker pin 91, so positioned that' when a striker weight or go-devil 92 is dropped from the top of the well on the suspension line 93, downward movement of the striker pin 91 closes the switch in chamber 90 causing electric current from the battery to ow through line 86 to the igniter 85,

Fig. 9 illustrates still another formfof thevinventon in which the igniter is actuated by a percussion device which strikes the top of the bridge 94 formed by the debris in the well casing 95. A propellant charge 96 is positioned in the lower end of a combustion chamber 97 formed on the lower end of the bailer body 98 which corresponds to 46 of'Fig. 5. The propellant is supported on annular seat y 99 around an opening 100 which is normally closed by a frangible sealing disc 101. The disc may be securedrin frangible disc 101 and to strike a-percussion cap 104 mounted in the lower end of the propellant charge 96, to ignite same. The pin 103 is restrained and guided by any suitable means. For example, a spider bushing 105 may be formed in the hollow plug 102 and a second spider 1 bushing 106 may be positioned below the plug 102 to provide vertically spaced guides for the pin 103. The pin 103 is constrained against accidental upward or downward movement by any suitable means such as the shear pins 107 and 108. The lower end of debris from the well is shown as being open at the upperf end having imperforate sidesrand bottom. However, since this type of bailer is intended for' the removal of solids rather than liquids, it may be preferable to provide perfo- `rations in the sides and/or bottom of the chamber to permit liquid to escape while retaining the solids.

Fig. 10 illustrates one type of such a chamber 110 having a series of perforations 111 in the walls thereof which may be either round holes or slots of various sizes. It is preferred to make the holes or slots 111 the largest size likely to be used, say one quarter of an inch in width. If the solids to be removed from the well can pass through quarter inch slots, a screen mesh liner 112, in the form of` Aa cylinder, can be inserted within the lower portion of chamber 110. A mesh size for the screen liner can be chosen to suit the particular type of bailingjob being performed. Thus itis possible to sieve out tine said while allowing oil to pass back into the well There is thus provided by-this invention a bailerwith i jetting 'means for dislodging a self-contained, powerful debris from the bottom of a well, and depositing said debris in a container in the boiler itself.

Modications of this invention will be evident to persons skilled in the art, particularly with regard to the selection of the jetting charges herein and in the means of setting them oif. Therefore, this invention is not to be limited .to the embodiments shown in the drawings and described in the description which are given by way of example and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

lA well bailer comprising: a hollow case; a partition dividing said case into upper and lower compartments; the upper of said compartments being normally closed; a body of gas generating propellantin said upper compartment; ignition means for said propellant; conduit means extending from the interior of said upper compartment through the lower end of said lower compartment; a downwardly directed nozzle discharging to the exterior of the bailer on the lower end of said conduit means; means for removably closing said nozzle against the entrance of well nuids; and a well uid inlet adjacent the upper end of sald lower compartment.

2. .A well bailer comprising: a hollow case, a partition dividing said case into upper and lower compartments;

pin 103 is preferably pro- 4vided with an enlarged head 109 adapted to strike upon 2,91 maar" 7?' tht uppfiofsd compartments 'being V'norrnzrlly closed;

conduit means extending from 'th'efinterior of said upperV compartment'through the "lower compartment and'termihatin'gin adownwardly directed nozzle; means for rei movablyclosing said conduit against the entrance of well uids; gas generating means in said upper compartment; means for actuating said lgas generating means; an inlet port inthe lower portion 'of said lower compartment; an inwardlyopening check valve in said inlet port; and a second port in the upper portion of said lower compart' ment communicating ywith the interior and exterior of said compartment.

3l vA Well bailer as ldeiined in claim 2 including a deectormem'ber on the' exterior of said lower compartment adjacent the lower end thereof, tending to prevent upward owof well uuid around the exterior of said lowercompartment-whle'directing'such fluid into the inlet ports in the lower end ofsaid lower compartment.

49A welI-bailer'comprising: a hollow case; a ilexible fur'mel-likefcu'p aflixedito the upper margin of said case and flaring upwardly and outwardly from said case; a partition' across said'case creating a container at the upper' end-iofthebailer having an open upper end adapted to receive`- debris Vwhich'isy dumped therein; a source of iluid under pressure disposed in said case and below said partition; and a'nozzle at the lower end of said case; whereby discharge of uidlthrough the nozzle and into a well dislodges debris-from the bottom `of said well and lifts the debris above the tlexible cup, the flexible cup guidingtheldebrisl-into thel container when the debris drops;V

v5:-Awell bailer-comprising: a hollow case; a iirst partitioninlsaidcase creating a container at the upper end of `thel',\ailerwith an open upper end adapted to receive debris dumped'therein; asecond partition below said iirst partition creating a vaporizing chamber between said partitions; a heating charge insaid vaporizing chamber for vaporizing liquidcontainedtherein; a nozzle -xed to the bottom of said case; -conduit means interconnecting said vaporizing chamber and said nozzle, whereby heat from the heating charge vaporizes some of the liquid in said vaporizing chambenaand ajet of uid is thereupon discharged'into the well-boretodislodge debrisfrom the bottomof said `bore 'fand' lifts the debris above the container so that the debris will drop into the container when no longer lifted -by the :discharged fluid.

6;' Apparatus according -to claim 5 in which a flexible funnel-like cup is aixed to the upper margin of the case, said cup'extendingupwardly and outwardly from said case;V whereby 'the flexible cup is deflected by the A rising 8ientrai'ned' dbris to permit th'ede'brisf-toriseifabove thai upper margin of the container, and also acts asfatunneli to 'direct'`the"debris"into the container as the-'debris-falls when no longer 'supported by the uid.-

7. Apparatus according to claim 5 in whichfa uidtight jacket is provided to'enclose the heating-charge and iso-` late said charge from surrounding pressures,`said heat-` ing charge comprising a mixture of substances vcapable' of undergoing a self-contained non-gaseous exothermal reaction.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 in whichthe charge comprises an lintimate mixture of metallic aluminumr and iron oxide in substantially stoichiometric proportion'.`

9. A well bailer comprising: a hollow case, a flexible funnel-like cup aihxed to the upper margin of said vcase`4 and aring outwardly and upwardly from said casing;

a partition across said case creating a container at the4 upper end of the bailer with an open upper end adapted to receive debris which 'is dumped therein; a nozzle at the lower end of said case; and a self-contained gas-" generating charge in said case beneath said partition and above said nozzle; whereby gas generated by said charge is directed in a fluid jet by the nozzle toward the bottom 25; of a well, and dislodges debris from the bottom of said Well, thereby lifting the debris above the flexible cup, the ttiexible cup guiding the debris into the container when the debris drops.

10.- Apparatus according to claim 9 in which saidv charge comprises a propellant material.

11. A well bailer comprising: a hollow case; a partition dividing said case into upper and lower compartments; one of said compartments being adapted to receive debris from a well; deector means mounted on said case and extending toward the wall of the well to deilect debris into the debris receiving compartment; the other of said compartments being normally closed; a body of gas generating propellant in said closed compartment; ignition means for said propellant; and discharge nozzle means communicating with the interior of said closed compartment and disposed adjacent the lower end of the bailer body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 208,619 Ludlow Oct. 1, 1878" 901,287 Flanegin Oct. 13, 1908 2,695,065 Baker'et al Nov. 23, 1954 2,740,478 Greene Apr. 3, 1956 2,804,150 Furson Aug. 27, 1957 

